Costa Del Sol

[batleyboy26]

After looking at the flight prices for Florida this year, we have decided that we cannot afford to go for a third year running, but instead will save some of the money and put it towards going for 3 weeks next year as it will be our 20th Wedding Anniversary in Aug 2009.

So, this year, we have booked flights to go to our friend's apartment in Benalmadena. I have been over there with her a couple of times for girly weekends and have not ventured any further than the marina.

Anybody got any suggestions what we can do in the area? We won't be hiring a car as the Spaniards scare the living daylights out of us with their driving, so buses it will have to be.

[stephwa]

We went to Cabopino which is just a bit further along the coast. We took a trip to Puerto Banus, which was fantastic. Really lovely area. We also went to the Aqualand in Torremolinos which was really good. I'm pretty sure the buses will go up to Mijas, which is gorgeous - white village of Andalucia.

I'm jealous, really loved our holiday out there. Went with girlfriends for 8 nights and it was pure bliss :thumbs-up

[Denny Crane]

We have a villa in Benalmadena and go out there every June.
Plenty to see and do outside the port.
Have you been to Tivoli World?
How about the park, its full of wildlife, birds, Cactus garden etc
You can get the train to Malaga and towards Marbella, there is a huge shopping complex with a large hypermarket
there is The Rhonda for sightseeing and in Benalmadena Pueblo there is a castle to explore as well as the village itself, plus Mijas.
A day trip to Gibraltar is a must

We go there for R & r I never drive, just beach, pool, sun and S..








San Miguel! :grin: :grin: :grin:

[liverpool lou]

We won't be hiring a car as the Spaniards scare the living daylights out of us with their driving,

I know what you mean...I have been here seven years and I am still scared to drive!! :(

But you will have plenty of places to visit ..lots of tours going on..Nerja is a really lovely place and you are not far from the caves and Frigliana... .all typically Spanish..Rhonda is another nice place.
And Gibraltar for shopping!! :grin:
Have a nice time.

Jean

[ambersmom]

Righty ho, things to do further afield than the marina,

Cable car, its up next to Tivoli world, this is great for a morning afternoon or evening (in summer), the views are fab over to Morroco,

Morroco, a great day out but very early start

Gibraltar loads of tax free bargains - cigs booze and make up

Ronda is a lovely village up in the mountains, a bit hairy getting up there though on a coach

Mijas just up from Fuengirola easily doable on bus, either get bus to fuengirola and change at bus station or get on bus at 24hrs in benalmadena and go straight through

Fuengirola, another beach resort, no where near as nice as benalmadena

Marbella and Puerto Banus, Fab shops and restaraunts, the marina has many many multi million pound yatchs, nice to see how the other half live

Selwo marina, Dolphin park- its done out really nice its next to the parque paloma which is our local park, it has 3 bars (my dad said they made it for us brits) lots of animals and tons of different plants trees and a great cactus bit, its really nice for a wander

Carihuela, this is a continuation on the sea front after the marina, its part of Torremolinos and has some great fish restaraunts, its lovely to wander around the back streets where there are plenty of shops to mooch in,

Aquapark in Torremolinos and Mijas Costa,

Train line runs from Malaga and goes as far as Fuengirola

That should keep you busy for a bit, where are you staying

[buddicle]

Ambersmom you forgot the crocodile place! (the name of which i can't remember!!!)

[ljhleeds]

My parents have an appartment in Benalmadena. There is quite a lot to do. There is Tivoli, the cable car up the moutain, Selwo, Sea Life Centre, Marina, the gator land, the water park, Fuengirola Zoo. There are regular trains to Torremolinos, Malaga and Fuengirola. You can get the bus up to Mijas (Pueblo) - that in itself can be an adventure.
I have been going to Benalmadena every year for the last 16 years and still enjoy it.

[greenjumper]

We went to Cabopino which is just a bit further along the coast. We took a trip to Puerto Banus, which was fantastic. Really lovely area. We also went to the Aqualand in Torremolinos which was really good. I'm pretty sure the buses will go up to Mijas, which is gorgeous - white village of Andalucia.

I'm jealous, really loved our holiday out there. Went with girlfriends for 8 nights and it was pure bliss :thumbs-up

I LOVE Cabopino! My parents live around the corner from there and it's out favourite beach in the area. Mijas Pueblo is lovely. A real old town feel, even though it's a touristy place. If you can, get the bus to Orange Square in Marbella. It's all just alleyways and cobbled streets full of shops and restaurants, around a lovely church.

Hope you have a great time!

[JaneSi]

This is a good thread - we are staying at a villa near Coin.!!! This gives us a few ideas too!!

[MichelleP1]

Nerja is beautiful and well worth a visit - we spent 10 days there last summer and are going back for a week in July this year. It was so lovely that we didn't venture further afield, although this thread is giving us some good ideas for next time.

[liverpool lou]

Nerja is beautiful and well worth a visit - we spent 10 days there last summer and are going back for a week in July this year. It was so lovely that we didn't venture further afield, although this thread is giving us some good ideas for next time.

Nerja is what made us want to live in Spain.... we used to go every year...and when we finally decided to make the move we could not afford that area :( ...so we chose Almeria...which is not too bad...but I would rather have Nerja.

Jean

[stephwa]

I LOVE Cabopino! My parents live around the corner from there and it's out favourite beach in the area. Mijas Pueblo is lovely. A real old town feel, even though it's a touristy place. If you can, get the bus to Orange Square in Marbella. It's all just alleyways and cobbled streets full of shops and restaurants, around a lovely church.

Hope you have a great time!

It really is a gorgeous beach. Not many tourists go there, so its really quiet. Ohhh I so wanna be back :cry:

[Hal]

I love SeaWorld Orlando, but I don't like Selwo Marina as I think the facilities there for the dolphins are too small. Fuengirola Zoo (http://www.zoofuengirola.com/eng/index.php) on the other hand, whilst tiny, is world class and a great place to visit - you must see this, and go for a walk amongst the Lemurs. It really puts London Zoo to shame.

:wavey:

[ambersmom]

Kes yes i did forget the crocodile park, its in Torremolinos very near to the market which brings me to markets nearest to Benalmadena

Tuesday Fuengirola
Wed Bootsale but now more of a market at Parque Paloma
Thurs Torremolions
Fri Arroyo, Parque Paloma and Benalmadena Pueblo

[TimP]

Marbella and Puerta Banus are my fav places in Europe, Although we haven't been for a few years.

Have met so many down to earth people there as my mate has a restuarant in centre of Marbella, ranging from Boxers to Football Chairmen to actors etc.

[liverpool lou]

I love sitting in Puerto Banus with a coffee.. people watching.. and dreaming!! :D

[bob_day69]

Nerja is a beautiful old town with a pretty much unspoilt town centre and many great places to eat. Even better If you can time your visit with one of their festivals. We saw in New Year on the Balcon de Europa eating 12 grapes, drinking Cava and watching the fireworks. The party went on all night.

The caves are spectacular and well worth a visit. It takes a couple of hours to walk through the sections that are open to the general public.

In fact we're off there this saturday to spend a couple of weeks at our finca in the mountains and will drive into Nerja for a good few of the evenings.

[liverpool lou]

Nerja is a beautiful old town with a pretty much unspoilt town centre and many great places to eat. Even better If you can time your visit with one of their festivals. We saw in New Year on the Balcon de Europa eating 12 grapes, drinking Cava and watching the fireworks. The party went on all night.

The caves are spectacular and well worth a visit. It takes a couple of hours to walk through the sections that are open to the general public.

In fact we're off there this saturday to spend a couple of weeks at our finca in the mountains and will drive into Nerja for a good few of the evenings.


We have fab memories of doing that on the Balcon...17 years ago!! they did not even have any police then!!
Where are you in the mountains? ....we are not far from from Granada ..we are inland.


Jean

[nattyk]

We have a villa in Benalmadena and go out there every June.
Plenty to see and do outside the port.
Have you been to Tivoli World?
How about the park, its full of wildlife, birds, Cactus garden etc
You can get the train to Malaga and towards Marbella, there is a huge shopping complex with a large hypermarket
there is The Rhonda for sightseeing and in Benalmadena Pueblo there is a castle to explore as well as the village itself, plus Mijas.
A day trip to Gibraltar is a must

We go there for R & r I never drive, just beach, pool, sun and S..








San Miguel! :grin: :grin: :grin:



oh do you rent your villa out??? we have been to Benalmadena twice and always had a good time, now we our a family of 5, villas is the way to go...
nat

[batleyboy26]

Thanks for all the info. I will keep this threa in my favourites and have a look at the ideas nearer the holiday and maybe contact a couple of you for more information.

Ambersmom - my friend's apartment is more or less opposite the Torrequebrada hotel/casino so it is a bit of a walk to the marina - I know that we have walked down there but have got a taxi back.

Last year when I went for a weekend with my friend, we did get a taxi up in to the old town in the mountains but I had no idea what it was called and we went to a beautiful restaurant. If I dig out my credit card statement, I could name the restaurant as I paid by card and there was a bar further up in the town which seemed to sell mainly pizzas but on the Saturday night, there was football on the tv and all the men were going crazy. I think DH and the boys would love the atmosphere there, but again, I've no idea what it was called.

[ambersmom]

Battleboy, our apt that we rent out is in Torrequebrada too, its a nice area, are you staying in Casinomar?, as you walk to the supercor supermarket there are some nice new bars there now and a new pizzeria is opening this week,

It sounds like the place you went to was Benalmadena Pueblo, was the restaraunt called Fidels? there are so many its hard to keep track

when are you coming over?

[batleyboy26]

I can't remember the name of the apartment complex but will get the details from my friend nearer the time so at least we can tell the taxi driver where we are going! When I was over there last summer there were at least a couple of new bars opened just past the supermarket since my friend had been out there at Easter and they were very nice. We had some lovely (free) Tapas there on the evening before we went up in to the old town. I can't find the credit card statement with the name of the restaurant on but I am sure that I would recognise the name again if I saw it and I don't think it was Fidel's.

We fly out on 18th August and return on 27th August.

[JaneSi]

Ambersmom - have you heard of a restaurant called El Tintero" - on the beach in Malaga. We thought this might be fun to try out for lunch one day.

Batleyboy - can you please try and remember the restaurant you went to - also which village was it in?

[batleyboy26]

I will ask my friend who owns the apartment. She also enjoyed it so much that she went there with her husband on her visit last July (we'd been for our girly weekend at the beginning of June). I do think it was in Benalmadena Pueblo as she just called it Benalmadena Old Town, but I will contact her and let you know.

[ambersmom]

Benalmadena Pueblo is refered to as the old Village as its so old and quaint,

Janesi, i have been to the Tintero but the one in Churrina/Alhaurin
its great, you just stop the waiter and have a look at the plates hes got and choose one, its great for a nice long lunch, (and a few vinos too ;) )

[ambersmom]

Benalmadena Pueblo is refered to as the old Village as its so old and quaint,

Janesi, i have been to the Tintero but the one in Churrina/Alhaurin
its great, you just stop the waiter and have a look at the plates hes got and choose one, its great for a nice long lunch, (and a few vinos too ;) )

[bob_day69]

We have fab memories of doing that on the Balcon...17 years ago!! they did not even have any police then!!
Where are you in the mountains? ....we are not far from from Granada ..we are inland.


Jean

Don't recall seeing many police this time round either. Just masses of people enjoying themselves. Sure was crowded on the Balcon.

Our nearest village is Sayalonga, about 10Kms inland from J277 of the coast motorway. The next nearest is Competa which is somewhat larger and more commonly heard of.

Not made it to Granada yet, in fact not made to many places as we're still enjoying just chilling out gazing at the mountain views.

[liverpool lou]

We looked at Competa when we were buying out here...it is a nice area.
It is a very Spanish area were we are...but it is becoming Little England now!!


Jean

[JaneSi]

Janesi, i have been to the Tintero but the one in Churrina/Alhaurin
its great, you just stop the waiter and have a look at the plates hes got and choose one, its great for a nice long lunch, (and a few vinos too ;) )

We will be near Alhaurin el Grande, well between there and Coin. does the restaurant have a name?

Batley Boy - was the restaurant called La Perla?

[bob_day69]

We looked at Competa when we were buying out here...it is a nice area.
It is a very Spanish area were we are...but it is becoming Little England now!!


Jean

Happening all over. We specifically avoided urbanisations which tend to be very British. Sayalonga is still very Spanish although there are Brits scattered around the campo.

Competa being that bit larger is a little more cosmopolitan and we must make the effort to go there this trip as it's only 5Kms away.

[ambersmom]

Bob if you go to Competa you have got to try the sherry, its to die for but make sure someone else is driving, its sooo strong

[bob_day69]

Bob if you go to Competa you have got to try the sherry, its to die for but make sure someone else is driving, its sooo strong

If it's referred to as Competa wine, very sweet and strong tasting almost like a liquer then we have already tried it. Had a tipple in a local restaurant in Sayalonga after some said that we should give it it a go.

We have been to Competa once, Last year when villa hunting one of the agents we used was based there and we met at their office.

[ambersmom]

Yeah i know its competa wine but we refer to it as sherry- well actually my dad calls it diesel, wonder why lol, the one from Frigliana is nice too, we actually prefer it to competa wine, we havnt been up to Competa for a while now, we used to always go for a run inland when dd was smaller but now shes of that age where shes off out with her friends

[batleyboy26]

Battleboy, our apt that we rent out is in Torrequebrada too, its a nice area, are you staying in Casinomar?, as you walk to the supercor supermarket there are some nice new bars there now and a new pizzeria is opening this week,

It sounds like the place you went to was Benalmadena Pueblo, was the restaraunt called Fidels? there are so many its hard to keep track

when are you coming over?

Just found out the name of the restaurant and it was Casa Fidel, so yes, you were right. We had a gorgeous meal there. We only ordered main meals as it was quite late at night and they brought us a pot of home made pate and bread with their compliments to start. It was the best pate I have ever tasted. Followed by a wonderful steak and veg for me and lamb and veg for my friend. I am so looking forward to taking DH there (although kids will be in tow and on their best behaviour!).

[Princess Kaz]

This is probably been mentioned already but the cable car up the mountain from Tivoli World site is fab

K xx